QUICK NEWS, 3-1: NEW BUDGET IS GOOD TO NEW ENERGY; VIRGINIA LOVES OFFSHORE WIND; INSURANCE FUNDS SUN; THE FUTURE OF FUEL CELLS

NEW BUDGET IS GOOD TO NEW ENERGY
Obama Budget Erases Fossil Fuel Subsidies, Ramps Up Nuclear Spending; Clean Energy Comes Out a Winner
Tracy Morford, February 1, 2010 (SolveClimate)

…"[The Obama fiscal year 2011 federal budget]…would begin to tip the scales away from fossil fuels and toward greater government investment in clean energy…[by eliminating] several fossil fuel subsidies, a move expected to generate about $36 billion for the federal government over the next 10 years, and increase clean energy research and development spending by about $6 billion.

"To sweeten the deal for Republicans and fossil fuel-state Democrats, the president piled on loan guarantees for nuclear power and reiterated his support for a nuclear revival, more off-shore drilling, and “clean coal” technology, which was heavily funded through the recovery act last year. In addition, the new budget offers only a passing reference to a future cap-and-trade program, describing it as carbon neutral rather than assuming it would generate revenue."

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"Whether Congress can carry through on the president's recommendations remains to be seen…Obama pushed for similar cuts in fossil fuel subsidies last year and got nowhere in Congress…In September, [the President] made eliminating fossil fuel subsidies worldwide a top issue for the G20…[and] the G20 leaders agreed to phase out those subsidies in the medium term…U.S. leadership on subsidies now could encourage other countries with far higher fossil fuel incentives, some in the hundreds of billions annually, to follow suit…[E]nding fossil fuel subsidies in the emerging economies and developing countries could reduce global greenhouse gas emissions 10 percent by 2050 while increasing investment in cleaner energy.

"In the United States, the president's proposal to eliminate 12 tax breaks for oil, gas and coal would free up tens of billions of dollars. That could be a selling point for Congress this year with so much attention focused on the federal deficit and the president declaring a spending freeze…The fossil fuels industry has long benefited from federal subsidies [oil and gas started receiving subsidies in 1916 and coal in 1932]…"

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"…Clean energy is a big beneficiary of the president’s 2011 budget proposal…[It would] keep the country on track to double renewable energy output by 2012. The budget would provide loan guarantees and nearly $2.4 billion for energy efficiency and renewable energy programs, including significant investments in solar power ($302 million), biofuels and biomass ($220 million), advanced vehicle technology ($325 million) and energy efficiency building technologies ($231 million)…[as well as] $300 million increase in funding for ARPA-E, the disruptive technologies program tuned to energy innovation…

"The president also is proposing an additional $36 billion, for a total of$54 billion, in loan guarantees for nuclear energy development, an industry that several Republicans in Congress have been pushing to revive…The loan guarantees should be enough to build seven to 10 reactors, which would get the industry started again…[T]he U.S. has the potential to take the technological lead in such developments as small modular reactors and fast reactors that can burn down waste…[But President Obama ] said he believes clean energy will be the driver of the U.S. economy in the long-run…[He also said] it makes sense environmentally and economically for the U.S. to develop [“clean” coal] technology and export it to other countries…"


VIRGINIA LOVES OFFSHORE WIND
2 Va. firms seek to establish offshore wind farms
Steve Szkotak, February 25, 2010 (AP via BusinessWeek)

"Federal regulators have received leasing proposals from two Virginia companies seeking to develop offshore wind farms capable of supplying clean energy to hundreds of thousands of homes.

"Apex Wind Energy Inc. is proposing to lease 116,000 acres for an undetermined number of wind turbines with the potential to generate up to 1,500 megawatts of power…[and] Seawind Renewable Energy Corp. envisions building 240 turbines to generate enough power for more than 250,000 homes annually…Both wind farms would be located 12 miles off of Virginia Beach…"

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"Virginia has been pushing hard to be at the forefront in the U.S. of the offshore wind energy industry, which has been tangled in a federal regulatory thicket for a decade…Gov. Bob McDonnell has made offshore drilling and wind energy a cornerstone of his new Republican administration, aiming to make Virginia the "Energy Capital of the East Coast" and the first to produce energy offshore. Virtually every Atlantic Coast state has formally expressed some interest in offshore wind energy, but only several states have generated leasing applications.

"…[The Virginia Offshore Wind Coalition ] representing Virginia Beach and Norfolk, the state's two biggest coastal cities, and industry leaders was created in January to promote Virginia as the "Silicon Valley" of wind energy on the East Coast…[T]he development of [such] a wind power hub in Virginia has the potential to become an $80 billion industry creating more than 10,000 jobs…The Sierra Club of Virginia estimates the state could be producing 20 percent of its energy needs from offshore winds within a decade…Virginia is positioned to take the lead, with a deep-water port essential to supporting the infrastructure an offshore wind farm [with 300-foot-tall turbines and 200-foot blades] would require…"

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"The U.S., which has no offshore wind farms, lags considerably behind western Europe, where 25 commercially successful offshore wind projects are operating. In Denmark, for instance, 20 percent of its energy demand is met by wind power, with about half of from offshore wind turbines…Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is intent on smoothing the regulatory process, and has promised to work with East Coast states to streamline the process…Interior's Minerals Management Service manages 1.7 billion offshore acres with wind-energy potential.

"In Virginia, both wind projects are proposed for areas that would put them out of sight of the coast but within shipping lanes, migratory birds and busy sea traffic from Naval Station Norfolk, the world's largest naval base. NASA's launch facility on Wallops Island on the Eastern Shore also limits some activity off the coast…The proposed wind farms would be located well within the area 50 miles off the Virginia coast that is being considered for gas and oil drilling…[T]he lease application is the first step in a long [scientific evaluation] process, which could take five years…What that science reveals will determine what type of turbines will be used and how fully the 100,000 acres can be developed…"


INSURANCE FUNDS SUN
MetLife and John Hancock Finance SunPower's 19-Megawatt Xcel Energy Solar Power Plant in Colorado
February 24, 2010 (PR Newswire via SunPower)

"MetLife and John Hancock Financial Services will finance the construction and third-party ownership of a 19-megawatt (AC) solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant that SunPower Corp…is contracted to build for Xcel Energy in Colorado's Alamosa County…Construction on the plant, which will be the largest solar power plant in Colorado, will begin this spring, with operations expected to commence before the end of the year. Approximately 100 jobs will be created during construction…

"The plant will use SunPower(R) T20 Tracker systems, which tilt toward the sun as it moves across the sky, increasing energy capture and providing more power on hot summer days when utilities need it most. SunPower Trackers generate up to 30 percent more energy per land area than conventional systems and, therefore, reduce land-use requirements."

From solarinsider via YouTube

[Steve Kandarian, executive vice president/chief investment officer, MetLife:] "MetLife recognizes the importance of investing in renewable energy ventures that will have a positive impact on the environment…This project builds upon the more than $1 billion that MetLife has already invested in renewable energy projects. It also demonstrates our commitment to support growth in the solar energy market by making it easier and more affordable for businesses and public entities to benefit from solar electricity."

[John Anderson, senior managing director/head, John Hancock Power and Infrastructure Group:] "John Hancock is delighted to continue our work financing large scale solar power in the U.S. with this major project that brings together such first class partners…The project finance teams at John Hancock and our parent company, Manulife Financial, have a portfolio of renewable energy financings that includes more than $2 billion of projects in the U.S. and Canada. We look forward to the successful completion of the solar power plant in Alamosa later this year."


THE FUTURE OF FUEL CELLS
Fuel Cell Vehicles; Light Vehicles, Medium/Heavy-Duty Trucks, Transit Buses, and Hydrogen Refueling Infrastructure
Dave Hurst and Clint Wheelock, 1Q 2010 (Pike Research)

"Fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) have a number of attractive features, not the least of which is their lack of emissions, other than water and heat. However, FCVs remain a technology under development…Fuel cells (FCs) were originally developed for space programs…but are now used for a variety of different applications…

"FCs work on a principle discovered in 1838. When hydrogen (H2) comes into contact with platinum electrodes on one end and then interacts with air molecules, FCs will produce an electrical current and water. Most automotive FCs are polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) cells…[that provide] the current used to power a vehicle’s electric motor, which in most light vehicle applications is supplemented by battery power during peak power needs (such as acceleration or hill climbing). In hybrid FCVs, the FC recharges the vehicle’s battery, while in others the battery only stores energy captured from regenerative braking."

click thru for complete details on how fuel cells work

"…FCVs also require [high-pressure] H2 storage tanks…Prior to launching the vehicles in the market, safety standards will likely be established, and more research is needed…Honda is the only automaker to make a [hand-built] FCV available to the public [and only in] southern California…Many automakers have small fleets…available for the press and public to test…In 2009, eight automakers…signed a Letter of Understanding (LOU) that stated their agreement to bring FCVs to the market by 2015…[because] automakers wanted to put on political pressure on for the growth of H2 refueling stations…[Daimler AG, Honda, General Motors, Hyundai, and Toyota] are leaders in FCVs...Other manufacturers [Ford Motor Company, Kia Motors Corporation, Renault/Nissan] may soon catch up…

"Another market factor is the growth of FC transit buses. Buses are used because their high cost can be subsidized (or outright paid for) by governments, rather than individuals or businesses. Additionally, buses are easy to manage due to their set routes and maintenance facilities, and they often need only one refueling station for the vehicles."

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"Pike Research expects that, overall, FCV research will reach $4 billion in 2010, and is expected to climb to $5.13 billion globally in 2016, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.3%. This research spending is expected to grow in 2015 and 2016…[L]ight vehicle FC sales [are expected to] reach 669,597 vehicles by 2020. The United States will be the largest market for FCVs in 2020 (134,049 FCVs), followed by China (129,241 FCVs) and Germany (126,783 FCVs)…

"[G]rowth of the FCV market is balancing on two key items: the growth of H2 refueling stations and improved durability and efficiency of the FCs. Pike Research anticipates that automakers will meet their commitments, but it will be a much harder political sale to convince governments to subsidize the refueling infrastructure and gas companies to make the substantial financial commitments to build the stations. Therefore, Pike Research expects that FCVs will remain a small niche within the overall vehicle market for the first five or six years after they are introduced."